Notice the bottom right corner, “annoying advise” Ha!
We brainstormed what to do when you are angry in one of my Girls Rock Yoga class for middle school girls.
We talked about healthy ways and not so healthy ways.
I always learn when I am teaching. I started to teach about how some strategies are a distraction from our feelings. After words I thought about how sometimes finding a distraction is not a bad thing. For example, if our mind is continually going something over and over in our minds and we can’t stop thinking about it (for example a negative interaction), then we need a distraction like TV or a book to break that continuous negative loop running in our minds.
I love hearing what the girls have to say. One girl said that listening to loud screaming music was really helpful to her. I remember when I was a teen, I was really angry about something and it felt good to turn up the volume on “Rebel Yell” by Billy Idol. Which is so funny, because I was so NOT the rebel as a teenager but Billy was a way for me to feel like I was a rebel. I was getting in touch with my inner rebel.
We rarely allow ourselves the time and space to really feel our feelings. I’ve read that it takes only 90 seconds for an emotion (which is energy in motion) to flow through your body and release as long as you are able to let go of the story. Of course letting go of the story is the hardest part. I’ve done this and let the feelings pass through me and it works incredibly well. Feelings are important but we can give too much credence to them sometimes, especially those big feelings that preteens and teens experience.
What is lacking in today’s society is kids (and adults) time to process feelings. Every second of the day is filled with phones/texting, teachers, TV, book, video games, etc. If we are mad and instantly get on social media to complain about it or blame someone, we are not allowing ourselves the space to process how we are feeling in the moment.
Girls Rock Yoga at OmBase starting this week, space available!
Thursdays, 4:15-5:30pm March 30th-May 26th.
PPS No school day camp April 8th, 10am-3:30pm
Westside Academy of Kung Fu (Hillsdale)